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Global Translational Medicine

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Optimization of gelatin-based cell carriers for

tooth-germ organoids

Anisha Jackson , Cemile Bektas , and Yong Mao*
Laboratory for Biomaterials Research, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers
University, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Soft and Hard Tissues Reconstruction in Dentistry)

Abstract

Tooth loss is a widespread condition that significantly impacts quality of life, and
effective functional treatments remain limited. Research in regenerative technologies
is advancing toward solutions that are functional, customizable, and biologically
integrative. Tooth-germ organoids – three-dimensional constructs cultured in vitro
– hold promise for developing functional dental tissues. Hydrogel microparticles,
selected for their structural support, resemblance to the natural extracellular matrix, and
moldability, serve as carriers and scaffolds for organoid culture. Methacrylate gelatin
microspheres (GelMA MS) have previously been identified as suitable scaffolds for dental
organoids, as they support the composition of multiple cell types necessary for forming
functional dental tissue. However, producing GelMA MS at a scale sufficient for tooth-
*Corresponding author: organoid research is time-consuming and suffers from limited reproducibility. This
Yong Mao
(maoy@dls.rutgers.edu) study aims to develop alternative gelatin-based carriers with simpler, more reproducible
fabrication processes that provide equal or enhanced support for tooth-germ organoid
Citation: Jackson A, Bektas C, formation. Two alternative carriers – gelatin microspheres (Gel MS) and micronized
Mao Y. Optimization of gelatin-
based cell carriers for tooth-germ photo-crosslinked GelMA microparticles (GelMA MP) – were evaluated in comparison
organoids. Global Transl Med. to GelMA MS and GelMA hydrogel. Both Gel MS and GelMA MP were found to be more
2025:4(1):67-79. cost-effective, easier to produce, and more reproducible than GelMA MS. To assess their
doi: 10.36922/gtm.5897
effectiveness as cell carriers, the growth and osteogenic differentiation of human dental
Received: November 13, 2024 pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) were directly compared across all carriers. Results showed that
1st revised: December 11, 2024 hDPSCs demonstrated significant proliferation and formed organoid-like clusters on
both Gel MS and GelMA MP, similar to GelMA MS. Cell viability was higher on GelMA MS,
2nd revised: December 24, 2024
GelMA MP, and Gel MS than in GelMA hydrogel, a commonly used cell carrier. Among
Accepted: December 25, 2024 the four cell carriers, Gel MS provided the best support for the growth and osteogenic
Published online: January 16, differentiation of hDPSCs. This study identifies viable alternatives to GelMA MS and
2025 highlights the superior performance of Gel MS as a cell carrier, advancing tooth-germ
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s). organoid research and developing potential therapeutic applications.
This is an Open-Access article
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution Keywords: Gelatin microspheres; Methacrylate gelatin; Microparticles; Tooth; Organoids;
License, permitting distribution, Stem cells; Cell-carriers
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is
properly cited.
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with 1. Introduction
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional Dental interventions can partially restore tooth functionality, but the ultimate goal of
1
affiliations. dental repair is the regeneration of natural teeth and associated dental tissues. Among

Volume 4 Issue 1 (2025) 67 doi: 10.36922/gtm.5897